Best World of Warcraft Links Vol. One
64Your WoW Portal
Clean out your Favorites! If you're like us, you've gathered half a hundred links under your WoW Favorites button. Now you can delete 'em all, because your World of Warcraft portal is here. We've gathered all the best links we could find into one place, so that you can quickly find the info you need. No more trying to remember where you found Jame's Alliance Leveling Guide. No more jumping around to find the best instance maps. They're all here!
Volume One includes:
- Newbie Help
- Guides
- Lore
- Maps
Find our Volume 2 page here.
Our Losing Entries in caption contests are here (humor, folks).
No Azeroth library is complete...without the two corner-stones of knowledge: Thottbot and Allakhazam. If you don't know them, *get* to know them. They'll keep you from asking noob questions, and your leveling speed will increase, oh, about 800%. Thottbot is the premier WoW database. Allakhazam fills in what you need to know about quests, and helps you pinpoint the best mobs to grind.
(Allakhazam can be a little slow. The trick is to keep pounding Refresh till you get a good page load.)
And let us not forget the official Blizz sites: www.worldofwarcraft.com, and World of Warcraft Europe. There's a difference, like the one between French Fries and Freedom Fries. Or something.
Murloc Sex...is not featured on this site! But we do have Twelve Steps For Newbies (below), as well the full range of activities to propel you into Outland. Links to the best World of Warcraft guides and Gold-Making Tips will see you well on your way.
For God's sake, dress a little better! Every so often, we'll dip into the Best Links archive for a website deserving of at least fifteen minutes of fame. Think of it as a (Curiously Tasty) taste of what's inside our site:
Wondering how to dress for success as you progress to level 70? Check out Kaliban's Class Loot Lists. It's like window-shopping at an overpowered Gap. A lot of work has gone into this site, and the result is a class-oriented compendium of where to find the best gear, based on your build.
For Newbies
Step One After reading Blizz' Game Guide, you'll already know more than the average poster on Barrens Chat.
Step Two Ten Ton Hammer's Must Know Wow Tips is a great supplement to the Guide. Don't forget /gquit, for example. Someone asks every day; it's your opportunity to seem wise.
Step Three Odds and Ends that would otherwise drive you nuts are explained here.
Step Four Read this: "Your reputation with other players is important. As such, try to be polite and considerate... [D]on't explicitly try to screw them... If someone clears to an ore vein, don't run up and mine it while they are fighting the last mob in the way. Don't skin other people's kills until they walk away from the corpse. Don't rush to attack something just because you see somebody else going for it. If someone is waiting for a named to spawn, let them have it." -from Step 3 (above)
Step Five Learn the chat language here. And remember, VC=Deadmines. Dire Maul is no place for a lvl 17.
Step Six Memorize this, then demonstrate it.
Step Seven Where to level: Blizz offers a basic breakdown for solo players.
Step Eight The best Where to Level is here (primarily Alliance). We've used it a lot.
Step Nine Okay, it's time to learn How to Group. Don't be alarmed by the comic book format; all you need is here. Read it, love it, learn it, we'll thank you for it.
Step Ten There's plenty of other great links on grouping, too, like this (the basics) and this (finding a group).
Step Eleven Plan ahead for Tuesday downtimes. Touch base with family and friends, and anyone else that you won't see the rest of the week.
Step Twelve Important tips here. (If you don't know this is humor, you need to go back a couple paragraphs.)
You've noticed that there are twelve steps? That's because you're probably already addicted.
World of Warcraft Guides
The Best! Jame will take you from 30 to 70 (Alliance). Everything's been updated for the 2.3 changes that nuke grinding. It gives us a headache to think how much work went into this.
Jame for the Horde Here; 21-70. Mr. Fixit also has a nice Horde guide, mainly maps and Tips for the Twink.
Grinding 35-70 If you're still into grinding, find tips here. Be sure to read the comments following, especially the one that says, Grinding casters=good gold. It's still a great way to start that first toon on a server.
Level 60? GameSpy has the goods. All your big quest chains are here, with maps, bosses, and easy-to-follow directions. There's no easier way to crush bugs on your way to Outland.
Decided to Take the Plunge? WoWVault gives you such a simple and complete guide to Outland, it'll be easier than driving to 7-11 for Mt. Dew.
Reputation Everybody's got one, and everybody wants a better one. A great basic summary is here. And WowWiki absolutely tears it up with its Factions page.
Darkmoon Faire Goblin Workshop has the skinny. After reading it, you may even find yourself going to Darkshore for Small Furry Paws!
The Gates of Ahn'Qiraj What's this War Effort thing? Some background. Items needed. A movie of the first Opening.
Wrath of the Lich King Plan ahead for the next expansion. Both the official site and the wiki will leave you drooling for more.
For the Wealthy These Pay guides are worth it. MPS has some great tutorials; especially recommended is the Horde leveling guide by mps_mongoose! King of all pay guides site is Killerguides, though. It can't be too highly recommended. You can buy one or two and then get the entire WoW encyclopedia for just a little bit more. Guaranteed: not a ripoff!
Guide Ratings Don't take our word for it; check out this fine pay-guide rating site here!
World of Warcraft Lore
The History of Warcraft Settle in with your Thunderbrew Ale and read the story from the beginning, at the official site. A quick summary for the time-impaired here.
In-Game Books Read them at this site.
The Geography of WoW From Tol Barad to Hetaera's Clutch, read all about it here.
Inconsistencies For the nit-picker, here's some inconsistencies in Warcraft Lore. Some resolutions (retcon?) can be found here.
Whet Your Appetite for the Warcraft novels by reading summaries here.
Religions of Azeroth Go here and meditate on the known creeds.
Languages This page tells you (in English) what you need to know to become a smooth-talking Paladin (or whatever, but we have a hard time picturing a smooth-talking Undead priest).
Story Arcs This site has a list of back-stories for several of the quest lines. It provides a nice backdrop to your in-game struggles.
Horde Lore No, we're not leaving you crazed PvP'ers out. We're *singling* you out! Stomp those proud hoofs and check out this site. It's especially awesome for the role-playing-inclined. (What a guild site, btw.)
Action Figures As if your S.O. doesn't think you're weird enough, here's a place to begin your WoW doll collection. Now, grab the mashed potatoes and start shaping Mount Hyjal.
Oh My God You've forgotten your history already? No problem, Mystic Briton has another nice essay on it. Quiz at eleven.
WoW Maps
Best World Maps See the world at a glance, complete with zone levels, flight paths and instances. Kalimdor Eastern Kingdoms
Best Instance Maps These aren't in any way comprehensive, but they're a good introduction to instance layouts and boss locations. You'll at least have a clue. Notice at the bottom, there's *six* pages.
Finding Herbs & Ore Where do you go to find herbs and ore? There's Gatherer, which is great if you've already been to a zone (see UI section). How about if you're new to the area? Mapwow is the answer. Check the item you're looking for, and enjoy.
Best Zone Maps Everyone has an opinion, but facts are facts. You can find the best zone maps here.
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